


Unconventional

by GoodJanet



Category: Mad Men
Genre: Cigarettes, Family, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Living Together, M/M, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 02:03:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3960265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodJanet/pseuds/GoodJanet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Betty dies, Don and Henry move in together to raise the kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unconventional

Don rides shotgun while Henry drives him and the kids home. It’s been a somber day, and Don resists pulling out a cigarette. He knows it would just upset everyone even more. It’s their first Mother’s Day without Betty, and a night out didn’t seem to help much. As soon as the distractions were removed, the sad looks returned to their faces.

When they get home, Bobby walks Gene upstairs. He’s a big boy now, but it’s something Bobby is so used to doing that he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. Sally stops before going upstairs.

“Thank you for trying, daddy.”

She says it with such a brave face, though her voice trembled. He wipes her tears away with his handkerchief, and Henry pretends to be too polite to notice. The last thing he wants to do is embarrass her.

“Go on upstairs. Take a bath. Just try to be calm, okay? Henry and I are here if you need us.”

Sally nods and turns to go up to the bathroom. She didn’t think it would hurt so much even though it had been several months since her passing. Everything felt so different. For Christ’s sake, Don and Henry living in one house? At least they were trying…

The bathroom door slams behind her. Don sighs.

“It’s going to be okay,” Henry says, arm around his shoulders.

He laughs, sadly.

“That’s exactly what I used to tell _her_.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that. You know it will be. Sally’s back at school; she’s going to graduate next year. And Bobby and even Gene have been smiling more. Hell, you and I won’t need to work another day in our lives.”

Don smiles. A small one, but a smile nonetheless.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

“I know.”

“Would you hate me if I had a smoke?”

“We’ll share one. But let’s go out back. I don’t want the kids to see or smell it.”

Henry is careful not to let the door make a noise behind them. Don has already lit a cigarette. The first puff feels amazing.

“The last time I snuck a cig, I was ten and hiding from my old man,” Don says.

He passes it to Henry.

“Did you get caught?”

“Of course. I was hacking up a lung. And we couldn’t afford an ailment during the Depression. I couldn’t sit for a week.”

Henry nods knowingly and takes a puff. The silver smoke matches the color of his hair, Don notices.

“We’d better hurry and get back inside. To check on them. I’m worried.”

“I thought you said everything was going to be okay?” Don says.

He steps on the butt of the cigarette and picks it up to throw away where Sally, Bobby, and Gene will never find it. Flushing it seems to be the best and quickest way.

“Jesus, I guess I was saying that because I want it to be true. And I hate seeing you and the kids worry. It’s not good for any of us.”

Don smiles. Henry could be very sentimental when he wanted to be. He leans in and pecks him on the lips.

“You’re right. Let’s go back in there. I’ll talk to Sally later.”

Henry nods, looking a little relieved.

“Okay, Don.”

Don claps him on the back as they reenter their home.

From her window, Sally sees her father and step-father share a cigarette and a kiss. And for a moment, anger and confusion flares, but melts, suddenly, into something like peace.

She can’t even remember the last time they smiled.


End file.
